Yousei: Tales of the Modern Faerie
by The Random Ninja
Summary: Fai doesn't quite fit in with his family, or with anyone at that. And after a chance encounter with a strange, red-eyed man, he will soon discover why. AU, KuroFai.
1. Prologue

**Pairing:KuroFai**

**Warnings: Cussing, shonen-ai, violence, and other random crap**

**Important Note!: This story takes place in the universe Holly Black created for her books Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside. Now, you don't need to read these books to understand this story, as it is not a 'real' crossover. Though, I do recommend reading the series, because they are well written and Holly Black supplies and modern, gritty background to our general perception of fairies. **

**Author's Note: I thought I was going to complete this story before I posted any of it, but I decided to go ahead and just start posting. This story will be updated on Mondays. Sorry that this chapter is so short, but hey, it's the prologue.**

**Special thanks to YukiKyoTohru for beta-reading this chapter.**

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**Prologue**

_In these dark waters_

_Drawn up from_

_My frozen well..._

_Glittering of spring_

_-_Ringai

_

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_

The smell of pollution filled his nostrils, poisoning the air around him. His chest tightened, and Fai feared he would have another asthma attack. He took in a big gulp of air and leaned against the side of a building.

He was sweating, despite the fact that it was winter and it was below freezing temperature. It was so hard to breathe sometimes in the large city of Tokyo, but Fai didn't have the heart to ask his father to move. His father loved the city. Fai, on the other hand, craved the quietness of the country side, and dreamed of moving there once he was old enough too.

'_Which will be soon',_Fai thought, somewhat solemnly. He was nearing his last year in high school and the thought of facing an uncertain future frightened him.

Fai sighed, then broke out into a coughing fit.

'_Stupid…asthma…' _

Clutching his chest, Fai bent over, the coughing fit overtaking him. His blonde hair flopped in his face, tickling his nose. After it was over, he still couldn't breathe. Fai slid off his backpack and rummaged around for his emergency inhaler.

"Damn it, where is it?" Fai wheezed. He was feeling light headed. He couldn't breathe and the world around him was turning murky, his vision blurring into darkness. Was this what death felt like? If this was death, Fai would welcome it with open arms.

He slid down the wall and before his head hit the ground, Fai fell onto something soft. He wondered briefly if it was the Grim Reaper who had caught him.

And then something was pressing on his lips, invading his mouth. This caused Fai to regain full conscious. When his eyesight cleared, Fai saw that someone was holding him. The person had apparently found his inhaler.

Blinking, Fai gazed into scarlet eyes.

'_That's…not normal…' _

"Are you okay?" a gruff voice asked. Fai nodded weakly and slid out of his rescuer's arms. Propping himself up against the wall, Fai finally got a good look at the person.

It was boy, or perhaps a man. Tall, muscular, and tan-skinned, the boy didn't look like someone who would bother with helping someone like Fai. Nonetheless, Fai was thankful, offering the other boy a smile.

"Thank you, I would've…been in trouble if you hadn't helped me," Fai said. The boy grunted and looked away.

"Well, I wasn't just going to leave you there to die," he said.

"You would be surprised by how many people would leave one to die."

The boy snorted and shook his head in agreement.

"I guess you're lucky that I was the one to find you, then," he said.

Fai nodded and smiled.

"I suppose I am." Fai stuck out his hand.

"I'm Fai Fluorite," he introduced. The other boy smirked and shook his hand.

"Suwa Kurogane," he said. He then stood up, pulling Fai with him. The blonde stumbled for a moment before regaining his composure. He then smiled at Kurogane, who in return studied him suspiciously. Fai's face heated under the intense stare.

"Is something the matter, Kuro-san?" Fai asked. Kurogane narrowed his eyes at Fai before shrugging.

"I was just… admiring your glamour," Kurogane answered, leaning in closer to Fai. "Though, you still don't look human…"

Fai's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I don't understand what you mean."

Kurogane gave him a weird look before his face dawned in realization.

"Ah. You must be a changeling then. Or perhaps you were abandoned at birth and adopted by a human family?" Kurogane sighed and patted Fai on the shoulder.

"Whatever the situation is, good luck. You'll be needing it, kid."

Kurogane turned and walked off, leaving Fai completely confused.

Changeling? Glamour? What the hell was he talking about?

Fai's head was starting to throb, so he shrugged off the strange encounter. He needed to get home, anyway. It was getting dark out, and there was no need to worry his parents.

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**Feel free to leave me a review. Feedback is really appreciated. So is _constructive_ criticism.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Pairings:** KuroFai, AshuChi (You'll see...)

**Disclaimer: **I don't own TRC and if I did there would be a lot more buttsex- I mean subtext!

**Warnings: **Teen angst, cussing, domestic abuse

**Author's Note: **Here's the second chapter! Whoo! Thank you all for reviewing (9 reviews?! OMG!) Now that the fangirl squealing portion is over, I really do hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I have up to chapter four written out and beta-ed and I'm currently working on chapter five...I plan for there to be around ten to thirteen chapters.

Anyways, special thanks to YukiKyoTohru for beta-ing this chapter. Thanks hun!

**

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**

**Chapter 1**

_Dead my old fine hopes_

_And dry my dreaming_

_But still…_

_Iris, blue each spring_

_-Shushiri_

As he entered his house, Fai kicked off his sopping wet shoes. He had accidentally stepped in a pile of snow on his way home, which resulted in numb toes and low spirits. His migraine was throbbing, and Fai was sure that his parents wouldn't make it any better. They were constantly arguing these days, and he had a suspicion that his father was beating his mother.

Fai never said anything about it though. Maybe he was a coward, but he didn't want to get in the middle of one of his father's rages. He could be terrifying at times.

"Mom, I'm home," Fai called out as he made his way into the house. He walked into the living room and saw his mother, Chi, reading on the couch. She glanced up at him and smiled wearily.

"Hello, Fai. How was your day?"

"Fine," he replied nonchalantly. There was no need to worry her with the asthma attack. She had enough to deal with as it is, and Fai didn't want her to get worse by concerning herself with his health. In the past months, his mother had grown gradually more and more withdrawn. It was subtle at first, she was just a little quieter than usual. Nowadays, she barely talked to anyone, and she very rarely left the house. Fai knew it was partly because of his father, but he was too afraid to do anything, like a good son would.

Then again, Fai wasn't a good son. Sometimes he didn't feel attached to Chi. Like she wasn't important to him. Sometimes he'd wonder if he actually loved her, or if it was all a façade. Then he would push those thoughts away quickly, not wanting to think like that. But they always kept on coming back to him.

It's been like this for a while…He thought, running his fingers through his hair. He felt emotionally unattached to his parents as of late, and he wanted to feel remorse for feeling that way. But he didn't.

Fai sighed and swooped down to dutifully kiss his mother on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Mom," he said. Chi didn't reply, just continued to read her book. Fai shook his head dismally and continued on his way to his bedroom.

He collapsed on his bed immediately after reaching his room, throwing his book bag on the floor. Fai would've been happy that winter vacation started today, but that meant more time with his distant* family. If he thought his mother was whacked, then his father was ten times worse. The man had been acting so strange lately. He would leave during the middle of the night without telling anybody where he was going. Sometimes he would walk off during the middle of dinner without saying anything; he would just leave out of the blue. And he also insisted on doing his own laundry and would get very upset if Chi tried doing it for him. He would get hysterical when she did so, shaking her in fury. Not to mention, he had started to lock himself in the study, staying in there for hours at a time. One time, he stayed in there all day, only coming out to satisfy needs.

Fai placed a hand on his throbbing head, groaning. His family was so fucked up, himself included.

The front door opened and closed, and Fai knew that his father had come home. He listened as his mother greeted him robotically.

"Welcome home, Ashura," he heard her say. His father snorted and Fai heard some shuffling noises.

"Where's the kid?" Ashura asked.

"In his room."

Some more shuffling noises.

"Have you been in my study?"

A squeak of surprise, most likely from Chi. Fai assumed that Ashura had grabbed her wrist or something.

"N-No…" she replied shakily. Fai could hear the fear in her voice.

"Liar." A slap could be heard throughout the house, sharp and painful. Fai didn't even wince. It was like a punishment, listening to his father beat his mother. Punishment for not caring enough to stop it.

"P-Please…I-I didn't…I-I'm not lying…"

Another slap. Fai sighed and closed the door to his bedroom. He had heard enough.

He got up and walked over to his ancient computer, turning it on and waiting patiently for it to boot up. It was slow, the internet connection was terrible, but it served its purpose, so Fai couldn't complain. He used to use the computer in the study, it was newer and the internet was high speed, but now that the study was off-limits, Fai was stuck using the old one.

Once it was up and running, Fai got onto the internet and promptly looked up the word "glamour". He wanted to see if he could find anything interesting and that was related to what the boy he met earlier was talking about. All he could find though, were advertisements for photography shops, a website for a magazine, and a link to a dictionary site.

Fai shook his head. No, none of those could be what the boy had been talking about. So he moved on a typed "changeling" into the search engine.

What he found shocked him.

---

change·

1. A child secretly exchanged for another.

2. A changeable, fickle person.

3. A person of deficient intelligence

Noun

a child believed to have been exchanged by fairies for the parents' real child

---

Fairies?

Fai went back looked at some other sites. Most of them referred to a changeling as a fairy child who is switched with a human child. The human child was usually switched to become a servant for the fairies, or for someone for the fairy to love, or as revenge against the human child's parents.

Fai shuddered. It was cruel, really. Both children, human and fairy, would be forced to grow up in a world that didn't understand them. They might feel loved, but never at home with their family.

Could I really be a…It made sense, in way. Fai didn't love his parents like he should and he felt out of place everywhere he went, like he didn't belong.

It gave him a sudden burst of hope. If he really was a changeling, it meant that he didn't belong to this screwed up family, maybe even this screwed up world. He almost smiled.

Then reality came crashing down on him, and Fai laughed at himself. How ridiculous, thinking that he could be a fairy, of all things. It was stupid, and so was Fai for thinking so ludicrously.

He looked through the search engine again and found a link to store that sold books related to weird stuff like changelings and the like.

"Triple X…Holic…?" Fai murmured, reading the name of the store aloud. He glanced at the address of the place and was surprised to see that it wasn't that far from his house.

He fingered the keyboard hesitantly.

"I wonder…" Fai said to himself. Even he refused to believe he was a changeling, he would still like to know more about it. It was an interesting concept and Fai knew he could learn more from a book, rather than the internet.

And so, Fai made plans to sneak away from his house tomorrow and visit the store, ex-ex-ex Holic, or whatever it was named.

Fai turned off the computer, shed his day clothes, and stumbled over to his bed. Before closing his eyes to sleep, Fai clasped his hands and prayed. To who, he wasn't certain, but if a deity wanted help and change his life for the better, Fai would not complain. He hoped that someday, sooner than later, he would understand his place in the world. Otherwise, he would be lost in the ever changing world, stuck on the sidelines, watching everybody pass by him in a blur and leaving him utterly and completely alone.

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Reviews and feedback are alway appreciated, so please, tell me what you think. ^_^


	3. Chapter 2

**Pairings: **KuroFai, DouWata (Implied in this chapter)

**Warnings:**Shounen-ai, cussing, angst...did I miss any?

**Disclaimer: ***giggles* I don't own...nope. Nopey, nopey, nope. *giggles some more*

**Author's Note: **Happy Labor Day! Whoo! Well, it will be Labor Day in a hour... Anyways, in celebration for my three-day weekend, I've decided to put this up an hour early! Fweee! =3

Thanks to all of you who reviewed: ElectricDemeter, Melissa Brite, bookwrom908, yoshikochan, SuperMangaFan89, mooseyfate, Kikyo's killer, can't remember my log in _, Tameny, Ira, MadHouseEscape-Sky, and Fai'swingedchronicles. Thank you all, I really appreciated all of your support!

**Replies:**

**can't remember my log in:** Ah yes, thank you. I now realize that, yes, Kuro-mi was extremely out of character. When I get a chance I will go back and fix that. And I will also fix the paragraph issues. Thank you.

**Ira**: Noooooo, not my liver! I needs it...I think. Wait a minute, flying monkeys?! I love flying monkeys! *steals your flying monkeys*

**ElectricDemeter**: Hun, you know I enjoy beta-reading for you. Even when I act like a bitch, you know it's out of affection!

**Special Thanks to Amarante-ai for beta-reading this chapter! **

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**Chapter 2**

_Fie! This fickle world!_

_Three days, neglected_

_Cherry branch…_

_And you are bare_

-Ryota

The next morning, Fai woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth. His headache was still present, making the blonde irritable. The pain of the migraine sharpened when he got up. Fai's hands flew to clutch his forehead and he groaned in pain.

He tried to remember what he had done last night, and Fai recollected meeting a strange boy, hearing his father beat his mother, and the ridiculous idea of himself being a fairy. Fai laughed at himself again, ignoring the throbbing in his head. It was so stupid, an almost fully grown male wondering if he was a fairy.

Fai shook his head, chuckling. He should really see a therapist. Sooner than later, probably.

_One of these days,_Fai thought to himself, _I'm going to go completely crazy and become an ax murderer._

He then remembered the store he had seen online last night. After a moment of consideration, Fai decided that he might as well go see what it was like. He needed to get out of the house, and this was an excuse to do so.

Fai took a quick shower, threw on some clothes, and snuck into the living room. It was only eight in the morning, so his parents were just now getting up. He could hear his mother in the kitchen and his father in the bathroom. After scribbling down a note explaining where he was going, Fai quietly left the house. He had lied, of course, of where he was going. He had told his parents that he was at a friend's house, even though he didn't really have any.

Then again, it wasn't like his parents cared. They were too lost in their own little worlds.

Trudging down the sidewalk, Fai's thoughts were lost in his own 'la la land'. He was still fondling with the idea of being a changeling. It would be nice to know that he didn't actually belong to his screwed up excuse for a family. If he was a changeling, he could just leave and never return to Ashura and Chi, and they could forget he ever existed. Fai liked the thought of this, and he didn't even bother to scold himself for thinking in such a way.

_It's not like it matters, I will be off on my own in a year, and then we won't have to bother with each other ever again._

He nodding to himself absent mindedly and continued down the sidewalk. The sun had been up for two hours now, and even though Fai lived in a quieter section of Tokyo, traffic was already bustling. Faisighed miserably. Man, he wanted out of the city so badly. The pollution, the noise, and the crowds drove him insane. Well, he would probably still be insane without living in the city, but that was beside the point.

As he was walking, someone bumped into Fai, sending him backwards. He landed on his butt with a painful "thud".

Fai growled and scanned the crowd for the offender. Glancing behind him, he saw a curious sight.

A cat, walking on its hind legs, like a human.

Fai blinked.

No one around him had seemed to notice the walking animal. They outright ignored it and acted as if the cat wasn't there, doing something relatively impossible. Fai shook his head.

_That does it. Not only do I have a fucked up family life, but now I'm apparently schizophrenic. _

He got up slowly, weary of his sore behind. He began walking again and soon found himself in front of an old building that looked like a traditional Japanese house. It was surrounded by skyscrapers, and looked extremely out of place. There was a wooden sign next to the building, paint chipping and wearing thin.

Fai squinted. He could barely make out three letters, all of them an "X".

"This must be the place," Fai said to himself. He walked down the stony path and knocked on the door cautiously.

Almost immediately after his hand left the door, two young girls opened it. Fai jumped back in surprise with a yelp.

"Come in, come in!" they said, pulling Fai into the house. He stumbled after them with difficulty as they tugged him along by his arms. He was immediately met with the sight of a strange store, stocked with trinkets, weird herbs that Faihad never heard of before, and many old books. The books themselves were mostly bound in leather and were so large in size, it gave the boy a headache even thinking of reading them. Curiously, the store seemed to be completely devoid of life.

_Must not be that popular_, Fai thought.

After scanning the store, Fai saw at the very back a woman sitting on a pile of ornate pillows. Her skin was pale, almost white with an unearthly hue of gray to it. Raven hair cascaded down her back and shoulders gracefully, like waterfalls. And, for a brief moment, Fai thought he saw a pair of iridescent wings attached to her back. He stared at her, capture by her inhuman beauty.

She smiled at him, almost mockingly in manner.

"I've been waiting for you," she said. Fai snapped out of his trance and crossed his arms in a huff.

"How could you have been waiting for me?" he asked, voice laced with disbelief. "We've never met before."

The woman chuckled lightly before holding out her hand to him. He looked at it vigilantly.

"Don't worry. I won't bite," she assured him. Fai nodded dumbly and hesitantly took her hand. She turned his palm upward and studied it carefully.

"Just as I thought," she stated as if she were talking to herself. Fai gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

The woman shook her head and looked back up at Fai. Her gaze was piercing, and Fai almost fell backwards in surprise. She smirked at him.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Oh, um, pardon my manners. My name is Fai Fluorite."

"Your father isn't native to this country," she said. It wasn't a question. Fai nodded.

"Yeah, his family is from Russia," he replied.

"You are waiting for me to give you my name." Once again, she stated it as a fact, not a question. Fai gulped and wondered if she could read his mind. That was ridiculous though; there were no such thing as mind readers.

The woman chuckled.

"Yuuko is the name by which I am called."

"You make it sound like it isn't your real name."

She leaned in towards him, as if she were about to part with some valuable information. Fai unconsciously leaned in as well.

"That's because…" She grinned at him childishly. "It isn't my real name." She released Fai from her grip and he fell over. He glared at her from his spot on the wooden floor.

"Why give a false name?" He questioned.

"Because it wouldn't be a wise idea for someone like me to give out my real name." Yuuko glanced back at the door behind her.

"Watanuki! Come out here and help our client!" She yelled. There was silence for a moment before an angry young man slammed the door open. His back was turned to Fai, so he couldn't get a good look at him.

"Isn't that your job?! All I'm required to do is clean up, not helping out your deluded clients!" he exclaimed. Yuuko snickered a motioned towards Fai.

"Normally, that is so, but I thought you might want to help this one. You two know each other, correct?"

He turned and Fai vaguely recognized him. The boy seemed to be about his age, maybe a little younger, and sported black hair and glasses. The boy squinted at Fai. A moment went by before his face lit up in remembrance.

"Oh, yeah, you go to my school don't you? I think you're a grade above me," the boy said. Fai scanned his mind, trying to remember the boy.

"We're in chemistry together," he offered.

"Now I remember. You're Doumeki Shizuka's boyfriend, aren't you?"

Watanuki's face turned an amusing shade of red. Yuuko snickered.

Fai cocked his head to the side. Did he say something wrong?

"He isn't - We're not! I would never, him?! We are anything but! I – He – We - NO!" Watanuki sputtered. Yuuko was howling in laughter, doubling over and clutching her stomach.

"Oh, Watanuki, you shouldn't hide your forbidden, passionate love for the man! Embrace it!" Yuuko jeered, poking Watanuki's cheek. They began to banter, ignoring their client.

Fai shrugged and rose from the floor. He walked over to a wall length bookcase. Running his fingers delicately over the bindings, Fai examined the titles. Most of them were in English, some in Japanese, and a few in a language unfamiliar to Fai. He glanced over his shoulder to look at Yuuko.

"I was hoping you could help me answer some questions."

Yuuko looked up at Fai.

"Oh? What knowledge of mine do you require?"

Fai flushed pink and looked away. He hated that he was about to ask the woman about fairies, of all things. It wasn't something most teenage boys concerned their selves with.

"I was wondering…if you could tell me about changelings…"

Yuuko's playful expression melted off her face in an instant of a second. She regarded Fai in a serious manner before nodding.

"Watanuki, I need you to go into the storage room for a while. Fai-san and I have some personal issues to talk about."

Watanuki complied without any dispute. Once he had left, Yuuko beckoned for Fai to sit in front of her.

Fai sat down, determined to get some answers.

"What do you wish to know?" Yuuko asked, clasping her hands in her lap calmly.

"Everything," Fai breathed. Yuuko nodded solemnly. "You what a faery is, of course."

"Yeah."

"Do you know what a changeling is?"

"A fairy child that is switched with a human child," Fai answered.

"Yes, but more commonly these days, human children are switched with a dying faery or glamoured wood. They are glamoured to look like the child and then the fey switch t the child with it in the dead of night. These days, it is rare for a faery to leave their young in the place of a human. It is still done though, which is unfortunate for the faery children." Yuuko lowered her head and tapped her finger on her lips thoughtfully.

"The changeling grows up in the human world, but as time passes, it becomes more difficult to conceal their true selves. Once they learn of their nature, the changeling will end up returning to the court from which it came. The fey blood in them overpowers the ability to act as a normal mortal, but even so, they cling onto their humanity. They can never truly belong in either the faery realm or the human world."

She snapped her gaze to Fai, waiting for him to say something. He fumbled for the right words to say, mind murky and unfocused.

"Um… how do you know… if you are a changeling?" he asked timidly.

"A changeling never feels like it belongs in the place it resides in. As it grows older, the changeling will find an abnormal strangeness about itself and others will feel it as well. The strangeness will ward off other mortals, leaving the changeling an outcast, from both social and family relationships."

Fai's pulse quickened and his throat tightened up. For a moment he feared of another asthma attack before discovering that it was the dread of what he was hearing. It matched up with his life much too well for his liking.

"Yuuko-san, are you able to tell if one is a…" No. He would not say it out loud. His sanity would collapse if he did.

Yuuko nodded.

"Am I…?" He wanted to know, and yet he didn't. If he was a changeling, what he had hoped for this morning, Fai realized that his life would change forever, and he could never go back. If he knew what he really was, Fai would surrender any normalcy he had.

Yuuko ignored him and rose from where she was sitting. Fai got up too, slightly irritated that his question had not been answered. She walked towards the front of the shop, stopping next to an ancient cash register.

"You have a sensitivity to iron, correct?"

Fai would've been surprised by her accurate guess, but then again, Yuukowas perceptive like that.

"Yeah, I do. How did you know?"

Yuuko turned slowly, her face grim.

"Iron burns faeries," she replied. Faiassumed that it was her way of answering his question. He looked back, thinking of how sensitive he was to everything; pollution, smoke, iron. He wasn't sure now if he wanted to believe it. It was surreal, and the logical part of his brain argued that it just wasn't possible._Fearies don't exist_! But the evidence was there, plain as day. Fai was a faery, a changeling.

Fai suddenly wished that he had stayed at home and had never come across the strange store. Fai wished that the guy who saved him last night left him there to die, instead of opening the doors to a strange, terrifying new world.

But he didn't stay home and he did come to the store. And that guy had saved him and introduced Fai to plethora of unanswered questions. There was no turning back now.

"What do I do now?" Fai asked Yuuko.

"That isn't for me to decide."

Fai sighed and leaned against a wall. He thought of his choices. One, he could stay with his parents and pretend to be a normal human. But he was unhappy living there and still wanted nothing more than to get away from his recently discovered faux parents. So, that option was out.

He could escape to the so-called faery realm, but that was a completely foreign place. Fai didn't exactly feel the need to crawl back to the world that had abandoned him.

"I don't want to stay with my family, but I don't want to live in the faery realm," Fai said to Yuuko. She smiled at him and twisted a chunk of hair around her finger.

"I can understand that. I myself went through the same ordeal."

"Are you a faery as well?" Fai asked. He wouldn't be surprised if Yuuko was. She hardly seemed human.

She nodded. "Yes. Right now my true image is concealed by glamour."

"What exactly is glamour? You've mentioned it a few times…"

"Glamour is an illusion when you get down to the core of it, but it can be more than that. Glamour can change the image of a person as well as become a protective shield." She poked Fai's shoulder. "The glamour that was put on you when you were naught but a child is a fairly strong one. It isn't the most powerful I've seen, but it serves its purpose well. There are many ways of removing glamour, if one wishes to. Rolling in clover, looking at oneself through a natural hole of a rock, or just simply concentrating."

Fai took this in carefully, thoroughly processing the faery woman's words. As he thought, he came across something he had heard that didn't fit.

"Yuuko-san, you said that changelings eventually all go back to the faery realm. If you are a faery, why are you living here?" Fai asked suspiciously.

Yuuko's expression saddened. She looked off into the distance, apparently remembering something that had caused her much pain.

"I was exiled to live here," she stated bluntly. Fai decided not to pursue it. There was no need to rub salt in one's wound.

"I hate to be a burden, but I have one more question."

Yuuko snapped out of her daze and looked at Fai warily.

"Do I have to go back to the faery realm?" Fai asked bluntly with a steely expression. Yuuko sighed and rubbed her temples.

"You always have a choice, but eventually, your original court will drag you back to their lands. They always do. If you really wish to stay out of the courts, I suggest you either find a way to get exiled or find someone who can protect you from the fey."

Fai crossed his arms.

"And who can protect me?"

Yuuko smiled at him, almost sweetly in a way.

"Someone with the True Sight."

"_True… Sight_?"

"Yes, a mortal who possess the ability to see through glamour. Sticking around one may ward off some fey, but I can't guarantee you complete safety," Yuuko said. Fai clenched and unclenched his fist. It was the best chance he had, so he might as well go for it.

"Can you tell me where one lives?" Fai asked. He was a little guarded about asking a complete stranger for protection, but he would risk humiliation for the chance of being safe.

Yuuko walked behind the counter where the register was and pulled out a pen and piece of paper. She scribbled down an address and handed it over to Fai.

"The apartment complex is a good distance from here, so I suggest you take a bus," Yuuko said to him. Fai nodded and smiled graciously at her.

"Thank you, Yuuko-san. For everything. I want to repay you, somehow, if you will let me."

Yuuko chuckled lightly.

"Just visit me every now and again. It gets boring around here with Watanuki as company," Yuuko said, now back to her usual, impish self. Fai smiled faintly at her and nodded before turning to leave the store. He waved back at her as he opened the front door, walking out into the sunshine.

When Fai left, Watanuki stepped out from behind the bookcase where he had hidden himself as his employer and the blonde had talked. He regarded Yuuko with a puzzled look upon his face.

"Yuuko, why didn't you just tell him that I have the True Sight?" he asked. Yuuko grinned at him.

"Ah, Watanuki, I am simply just pushing the boy a little closer in the direction of hitsuzen. By the time he reaches the person I sent him to, fate will already be in the making."

"Tch, whatever you say."

"Don't question my methods, Watanuki. Now, go get me some sake."

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I love it when y'all give me feedback. Reviews make me happy. So, be kind a drop a comment. ^_^


	4. Chapter 3

**Pairing:**KuroFai! There's some in this chapter! Finally!

**Warnings: **Um..cussing...I'm sure if you're still reading up to this point you there's shounen-ai...

**Disclaimer: **CLAMP owns Tsubasa...and teases all of their fans mercilessly.

**Author's Note: **Alright, for those of you who are up to date...Tsubasa currently only has two more chapters to go...and then it's done. Over. Bye-bye. [Insert hysterical crying here] But, we get a thirty-page long finale, which means KuroFai people. ( it's CLAMP people, of course there will be)

Anyways, I am getting around to changing the mistakes I've made, the biggest one is mispelling "faery" over and over and over again. I will correct those. I promise. But right now I only have like an hour till school starts, so I ask you guys to be patient. Kay?

Special thanks to Amarante-ai, who is so kind to be my personal beta-reader! Thank you so much, hun!

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**Chapter Three**

_Black cloudbank broken_

_Scatters in the_

_Night...now see_

_Moon-lighted mountains!_

_-Basho_

Faireached his destination quickly, now that he walked with a determined stride. Practically running, he made his way through the streets. He caught a bus right before it drove away, and the driver grumbled at him for being a "inconsiderate brat". Fai's legs shook with anticipation as he sat on the bus. Why he was so wound up about meeting a complete stranger was beyond him.

The bus screeched to a stop and Fai jolted out of his seat in surprise. Glancing down at the address Yuko had given him and his current location, Fai realized he needed to get off. He stumbled a little and yelled for the bus driver to stop when the bus lurched forward.

Face pink with embarrassment, Fai stepped off the bus and was greeted with the sight of an old, run-down apartment complex. Quirking an eyebrow, Fai scanned his surroundings. He noticed that there were many college aged people running around, most of them flustered and red in the face. One boy brushed past Fai, muttering something about "crazy professors" and "repeating another year". Fai reached out and touched the boy's shoulder timidly.

The boy looked back at Fai with a questioning look on his face. Fai gulped but stood resolute. There was no way he was backing out now.

"E-excuse me, could you tell me where this room is?" Fai asked, pointing at the paper he held. The boy looked down at the paper and then looked back up at Fai with a surprised expression on his face.

"You're looking for Suwa-san?"

"Um…that depends. Is that who lives at this address?"

The boy blinked.

"Well, yeah, but you make it seem as though you've never met him before."

Fai smiled brightly, playing dumb.

"I haven't. Now, could you please take me to his room?"

The boy stared at him for a moment like the blonde was completely deranged, but he shrugged and motioned for Fai to follow him. The whole entire time Fai smiled like an idiot and exuberantly thanked the boy when they parted. They guy seemed shocked and mildly afraid of Fai, and the blonde took great delight in this. Sometimes, it was just too much fun scaring people who came off as 'normal'.

After the boy was out of sight, Fai turned to face the door he now stood in front of. Part of him almost wished that whoever lived here was out, so that Fai wouldn't have to deal with the embarrassment and the explanations. What if Yuko was one big hoax and had sent him here as a joke?

Fai sighed. It was too late now. His hand curled and before he could hesitate, he was knocking on the door. Dread wound in his stomach, and he silently prayed that no one would answer.

So, of course, some one did.

The first thing Fai saw was a head of spiky, black hair and an irritated, red glare. Stunned, Fai could only stare at the "stranger" in front of him.

"Kurogane-san?"

Kurogane's glare softened but didn't diminish completely.

"You're the kid from the other day. The one who had an asthma attack." Fai snapped out of his shock.

"I'm not a kid," he pouted, crossing his arms. Kurogane snorted.

"Compared to me, yes, you are," he said. "Now, why are you here? I don't remember telling you where I live." Fai's shoulders slumped. His cheeks suddenly felt enflamed and he wished nothing more than to be far, far away from there. But, he stood his ground and looked the older boy straight in the eye, a mask of confidence washing over himself.

"I was told by a Yuuko-san to visit you," Fai stated simply. He figured it was best to blunt in these types of situations.

Kurogane's stance stiffened. It was obvious that he recognized her name, at the very least.

"I think you should come in. It's best that we don't talk about this in the open," he said, scanning the hallway. "You never know who's listening." Kurogane tugged at Fai's arm, pulling him inside.

The first thing Fai saw was stained, crumbling, brown walls. Next he noticed how barren the room was. Just the basics, a small refrigerator, a space heater, random piles of books scattered all around, and a futon in the corner. Fai scanned the room. '_So, this is how a college student lives.'_

Kurogane studied him cautiously. Fai turned to him, sensing his gaze, and returned it with a hard stare of his own. The older boy's expression softened, if only a little bit.

"Yuuko sent you here?" He questioned. Fai nodded. "Yes. She told me that you…can't see glamour…" Fai trailed off, examining Kurogane's expression. He almost looked…angry.

"Yeah, what of it?" Kurogane snapped. Fai chuckled lightly and stared up at Kuroganewith a passive expression. The blonde forced an awkward smile onto his face.

" She said you might be able to…" Fai moved in closer, hands clasped behind his and a huge grin overtaking his face. Kurogane grunted, crossing his arms. " I might be able to do _what_?"

Fai leaned into the older boy, letting a semi-flirtatious persona surface. He almost felt empowered, hiding behind this strange, new mask.

"She said…" Fai batted his eyelashes at the older boy. "…that you could protect me from the big, bad fey folk." Kurogane narrowed his eyes at Fai, frowning.

"Why would she…? You're…a fearie, aren't you?"

Fai stood up on the tips of his toes, trying his best to get in Kurogane's face. This epically failed of course. The college student was _very_ tall.

"Perhaps Yuuko-san thought we would be great friends? Ne, Kuro-pi?"

The look on Kurogane's face was one of total and absolute fury. Most people would flee from the man if they were unlucky enough to get Kurogane that pissed off. Fai, on the other hand, naively thought that an angry Kurogane was adorable.

"What did you call me, Changeling?" Kurogane's voice was low and dangerous, but Fai took no heed of that.

"Don't you like your nickname, Kuro-run?" Fai asked, giggling. Kurogane lunged, prepared to strangle the boy. Fai easily sidestepped him, predicting Kurogane's movements. The blonde laughed and moved closer to the window. Kurogane growled menacingly.

"My name isn't 'Kuro-run', dammit! It's Ku-ro-ga-ne, Kurogane, dammit!" The older boy was seething with rage.

Fai smirked and leaned against the window. He glanced out, mildly observing the students coming and going from the ancient apartment complex. The students seemed cheerful enough, some rushed and panicked, but nonetheless happy. Fai looked away. Of course they were happy. They belonged in the city, surrounded by friends and the normalcy of life. They were human. He, on the other hand, was not.

_Perhaps it would be best to return to the fey…_

Fai thought grimly. He shook his head, though, reminding himself that he didn't belong with the fey folk either. They were the ones who had abandoned him. And even though he was one of them, Fai had lived with humans for most of his life. He would never truly belong with the fearies, or with the humans, but since he was used to living like a human, Fai might as well continue living that way and try to fit in.

_But what if I can't…_

"Are you even listening to me?!" Fai turned his head to look at Kurogane, giving the older boy a bored expression. "Hmm? No, I'm sorry. I must've lost myself in thought, Kuro-nya."

Kurogane growled obscenities at the blonde, but Fai ignored him and walked over to study a picture that had caught his eye. Picking it up, Fai saw that it was a photograph two dark-haired girls and Kurogane. The youngest girl had dark, ashy hair, cheerful violet colored eyes and a huge grin on her face. The older girl looked similar to the other girl, but had a serious expression upon a matured face. Kurogane was behind the two, crossing his arms, glancing at the camera in a 'I don't care' way. Fai smiled slightly.

"Is this your family, Kuro-run?" Fai asked. Kurogane paused, eyeing Fai cautiously. The blonde gave him an innocent look, blinking. Kurogane sighed and ran a hand through his spiky, black hair.

"They're my…sisters," he said slowly, crossing his arms, looking away from Fai. 'He looks just like he does in the picture,' Fai mused.

"Oh?" Fai said, edging closer to Kurogane. The older boy snorted.

"We're technically not related. I was…adopted," Kurogane continuing. His expression grew distant, and Fai vaguely wondered what he could be remembering. Whatever it was, the memory probably wasn't very pleasant, considering the scowl that had adorned Kurogane's features.

Fai glanced out the window and saw that the sun-set was nearing. He had been gone all day and his father wouldn't be happy about that.

With a forlorn sigh, Faiset down the photograph and gave Kurogane a forced smile.

"Well, it was nice talking to you, Kuro-rin, but I should probably be getting home…." Home. Thoughts of his parents filled his mind. Fai mentally shuddered and suddenly wished nothing more than to never, ever go home. Maybe he could beg Kurogane to let him crash in his apartment for the night. Or maybe he could ask Yuuko if she was willing to hire him and provide him with a room to stay in.

Fai shook his head at the thought. Too far fetched. While he was sure his parents wouldn't actually be concerned with his disappearance, they would still be obligated to search for him. Running away wasn't the best option at the moment, even though it sounded very appealing.

Kurogane grunted. Fai shook his head again and grinned broadly at him.

"Never mind me, I…daydream a lot, that's all."

"You have a problem with your parents?" It almost sounded like a statement, instead of a question. Fai's grin melted off his face, leaving him to gape at Kurogane. _How the hell could he have figured that out so quickly?_It wasn't like Fai had said anything to indicate that he had…issues with his parents. Had he?

"I'm sure that isn't any of your business, _Kurogane_," Fai said coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

Fai made his way over to the door. Kurogane sighed and pulled it open for him.

"Look, I know it isn't easy, what you're going through right now," Kurogane said. He glanced at Fai before averting his gaze. "If you ever need someone to…you know, talk to, I suppose you can come to me."

Fai blinked.

Kurogane shifted his gaze back to the blonde and scowled. He crossed his arms in huff. Fai smiled lightly at him, involuntary this time. It was almost touching to him that Kurogane was trying to be nice to him.

"I'll keep that in mind, Kuro-sama." And with that Fai strode through the door, feeling better than he had in a long time.

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I believe this chapter was much shorter than the previous one...I'm not very consistent, am I?


	5. Chapter 4

**Pairing: **KuroFai

**Warnings: **Shounen-ai, character death...etc.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Tsubasa Chronicles. That would be CLAMP.

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**Chapter Four**

'Tis very certain the desire of life prolongs it.~Lord Bryon

Fai sprinted down the slush-covered sidewalk. His mind was muddled up and he couldn't make sense of anything, but he was _happy_. Fai had no idea why, but the thought of seeing Kurogane again made him almost… giddy. As his thoughts finally came into focus, Fai slowed his pace and came to a stop.

Why was he so excited? It made no sense to get worked up about someone he had just met, no matter how kind, shy, or cute they were.

Fai frowned. Cute? Since did he think _anything_ was cute? He didn't, much less another guy.

Fai shook his head, ignoring the onslaught of Kurogane-related thoughts and took off again, at a much slower pace this time.

Apprehension hit Fai like a ton of bricks when he neared his house. The sun was now setting, meaning that he had been gone all day. He had meant to only be out for a few hours, but then again, he never expected the life-altering event that the day held. He shivered, not wanting to think about what his father's reaction might be. His mother probably wouldn't say anything to him.

He rushed past a stand of newspapers, not noticing the headlines. If he had, Fai would've known of the recent string of murders in Tokyo.

---

Kurogane watched Fai leave the building from his window. The blonde dashed out of the building and had hopped around on the corner of the street, obviously waiting for a bus. For a split second, Kurogane considered going down there and waiting with him, but he quickly pushed that thought aside with a scowl. _Dammit_, he was going _soft_.

He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the kid, though. Living in a world that you didn't belong in was something Kurogane could relate to. He himself always felt out of place living in his adopted parents mansion. He loved his family well enough, but Kurogane was not cut out for the upper-class life. Especially since he could see things that his family couldn't.

Ever since he was young, fearies flocked to Kurogane. Well, it seemed that way, but many of fey folk were exiled to live in Tokyo, so he was probably just paranoid.

Kurogane faintly heard bells in the midst of thought before jolting out of his trance when he realized that the bells were his phone ringing. Looking at the caller ID, Kurogane scowled lightly before flipping the phone open.

"What do you want, Ameratsu?"

The person on the other line scoffed and Kurogane could see the frown on his sister's face.

"Well, excuse me for checking up on you," Ameratsu said harshly. Kurogane rolled his eyes. While she may put up a persona of indifference towards him, Kurogane knew she was genuinely concerned for him.

"You don't need to check up on me. I'm not a kid." Kurogane replied bluntly.

"You may be an adult in the eyes of the government, but you're still my kid brother." Ameratsu paused. "Have you been going to your… appointments regularly?"

Kurogane stiffened slightly, his frown deepening. Of course she had to ask about _that_.

"Ameratsu, you know perfectly well that I'm not…" Kurogane had trouble just saying the word. "You know I'm not…" he trailed off again. Ameratsu sighed.

"Look, I don't think you're crazy, but schizophrenia is serious, no matter how mild. I suggest you make an appointment with your therapist as soon as possible."

Kurogane growled. How the hell was he supposed to explain to her about how fearies really existed and he was one of the few people who could see them at all times? He couldn't, she would never believe and Kurogane had no proof. He had told Tomoyo when they were younger, but she was just a child. She wasn't able to do anything for him.

"Yeah, whatever," Kurogane quietly agreed, deciding not to argue with Ameratsu about his 'condition' now.

"Good. I'll talk to later – Oh, wait, Tomoyo wants to talk to you." There was some rustling on the other line and soon Kurogane could hear the excited panting of his younger sister.

"Kurogane, I've missed you! How's college going? Are you passing all your classes? Have made any new friends? Oh, I hope you're not staying cooped up in your apartment when you could be making friends! That would just like you, though. Have you been eating properly -"

"Tomoyo-chan, I'm fine, I promise," Kurogane said, cutting his sister off. "I've been doing just fine in my classes and I have been taking care of myself. I'm alright, so don't worry."

Despite his rough demeanor, Kurogane had a soft spot for his sister, and he couldn't help but smile. It was… sweet how she worried about him. "I'm fine," Kurogane repeated.

"Okay," Tomoyo giggled into the phone. She then bid Kurogane a goodbye, leaving him to his thoughts.

---

"Mom?" Fai called out from the front door, cracking it open about an inch. The house was quiet and still. As if nobody had been there all day. Fai frowned. While his father would be out all day at his job, his mother was a stay-at-home mom.

_Maybe she went out for a bit, _Fai thought. Opening the door all the way, Fai saw that the lights in the kitchen were on.. Maybe his mother was home.

"Mom? Are you here?" he called out. When he received no reply, Fai gave a mental shrug and decided that his mother was simply giving him the silent treatment for staying out all day with little notice. He kicked off his shoes and trudged upstairs to lay down.

After a shower and slipping into some pajamas, Fai fell back into his bed. After laying there in the dark for a good ten minutes, the boy sighed in frustration. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and tugged at the roots. No matter how hard he tried to clear his mind of the stress revealed with the day, all his thoughts came back to faeries and red-eyed strangers. Fai grinned at the thought of Kurogane. And to think that the older boy had invited him to visit him again. Fai would definitely have to take Kurogane up on that offer.

There he went again, Fai's thoughts running amuck and keeping him from needed slumber. With a tired sigh, Fai rose from his bed with the intention of going down to the kitchen and asking his mother for some sleep medication. There was no hope of him falling asleep on his own tonight.

After clumsily walking down the stairs and running into the furniture of the living room, Fai entered the bright kitchen.

"Mom, I need some…"

His vision was momentarily blurred, eyes adjusting to the change of light, but Fai didn't need his eyes to know that something was wrong. Very wrong.

The kitchen was quiet and still. Too quiet and still for there to have been a person in it not too long ago. Secondly, there was a strange stench, one that almost made Fai gag when he realized what the smell was. Rubbing his eyes, heart thumping frantically, Fai immediately saw something that made his heart skip a beat.

A pool of dark, crimson liquid. Blood.

Fai's line of vision slowly turned to the source of all the blood; a limp body that laid on the now stained tiled floor of the kitchen. With a soft cry, Fai rushed to the lifeless body that was once his mother.

The rest was a blur. The scarlet blood turned to flashing red lights. Wailing sirens filled his ears, along with the questions of the paramedics and policemen that had accompanied them.

He could barely remember what happened after he had called the police, but one memory had managed to stick out. The look on his father's face when he arrived at the house. Cold, unemotional, and without a trace of sorrow for his late wife's passing.

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Sorry people, but I think I going to start updating this story every two weeks from now on. School started not that long ago, and I do have things I need to do before writing this story. Sorry, but I will finish though, since I have most of the rough sketches done.

Please review if you have time. ^_^


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